The website of India's National Centre for Ocean Information Services had earlier carried a warning for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean, where a tsunami with waves as high as 6.3 meters was feared. The warning urged people to move inland toward higher ground and advised vessels to move into deep ocean territory.

Several hours after the earthquake, it became clear that no tsunami was going to hit the Indian coast. The possibility of a tsunami triggered warning systems that were put in place after the 2004 tsunami that devastated the region.

In a statement, India's Home Ministry said it had asked the chief secretaries of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and all east coast states to advise fishermen not to venture out to sea. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force were placed on standby in case they were needed to carry out emergency relief efforts, the agency said.